Arc 9The Sleeping Charm and the Black Dog

Will rescued Harry from the Quidditch storm, developed a new rune-based Sleeping Charm, and published research that brought him attention and scrutiny from magical academics. Meanwhile, he sheltered Sirius at the Shrieking Shack, but Sirius broke into Gryffindor Tower looking for Scabbers, intensifying Hogwarts’s security and the hunt for him.

  • Will rejected Lucius’s plan to claim credit for others’ Potions work, arranged to publish his Potion Transfiguration research, and secretly fed Sirius in his black dog form.
  • Will studied the improved Wolfsbane Potion with Snape, worked with Flitwick and Babbling on converting spells into charms, and developed a new rune-based Sleeping Charm.
  • During the stormy Quidditch match, Dementors caused Harry to fall from his broom, and Will secretly rescued him as a phoenix before the Weasley twins returned him to Hogwarts.
  • Will showed Flitwick his newly created rune, and together with Flitwick and Babbling he refined the Sleeping Charm and completed papers on Potion Transfiguration and Wolfsbane Potion.
  • Will arranged food and shelter for Sirius at the Shrieking Shack with help from Hermione and Neville, but Sirius later entered Gryffindor Tower and tried to reach Scabbers.
  • The Ministry increased Dementor and Auror patrols after the break-in, while Will’s papers spread through magical academia and Lucius arranged publicity for him.
  • Snape brought Will to meet Fernando, who challenged the papers’ methods and contributions, and Will defended his research before leaving for lunch.
Chapters 201–225 Vol. 3 Read

Ch. 201I Cannot Accept Surrendering to Mediocrity

Will faced a Boggart that took his own form and realized he feared mediocrity and surrendering to it. After class, Lupin warned him against letting ambition become a burden, and Will returned to the castle with Lupin, where they encountered Snape.

  • Will recognized that the Boggart’s mediocre version of himself represented his fear of settling for mediocrity and cast Riddikulus, turning it into a brilliant light.
  • Lupin ended the lesson, assigned a short reading summary, and asked Will to stay behind.
  • Will explained to Lupin that he feared spiritual surrender more than limited ability, while Lupin urged him not to push himself alone.
  • Will asked whether a Boggart Dementor could drain joy, and Lupin admitted he did not know but would investigate.
  • Will and Lupin returned to the castle and ran into Snape, who glared at them as they walked together.

Ch. 202Trouble at the High Tower

Harry was attacked by a Dementor at the High Tower and woke in the Hospital Wing, where Dumbledore warned him to stay away from the tower for a while. Will evaded a Dementor, then turned back time to help Hagrid care for the Hippogriffs.

  • Harry, Hermione, Neville, and Ron discussed the Boggart and what it might reveal about their fears.
  • A Dementor appeared outside the High Tower, and Harry collapsed after seeing it.
  • Harry woke in the Hospital Wing as Dumbledore explained that his friends had carried him there through the Vanishing Cabinet and warned him to avoid the High Tower.
  • Will transformed into a silver wolf to evade a Dementor, then returned to human form and went through the Vanishing Cabinet.
  • Will used his Time-Turner to return a few hours and help Hagrid care for Rowle, a silver-gray Hippogriff.

Ch. 203The Black Dog Arrives

Will brewed an antidote while Snape questioned him about Lupin and the Boggart that had turned into Will. Lupin worried about Sirius and Harry’s safety, while Sirius, in the form of a black dog, watched Hogwarts from the mountains before seeking shelter.

  • Snape criticized Will’s antidote and threatened to poison his food, then advised him to add three drops of Mandrake juice.
  • Will told Snape that the Boggart in Defence Against the Dark Arts had turned into him and that Lupin had advised him not to push himself too hard.
  • Lupin read a Daily Prophet report about the Dementors’ attack on the Hogwarts Express and thought about Sirius’s betrayal and escape.
  • Lupin went to bed, still believing Harry was safe at Hogwarts and unaware of what had really happened.
  • Sirius, appearing as a large black dog, watched Hogwarts from the mountains and then went deeper into them to find a place to rest.

Ch. 204Lucius's Plan to Make Will Famous

Snape punished Neville and Harry in Potions, while Will and the other students practiced fighting a Red Cap in Lupin’s class. Later, Lucius met Will outside Hogsmeade to discuss a plan to make him famous, but the chapter ended before he revealed its details.

  • Snape docked points from Neville and Harry during Potions, and Harry’s Shrinking Solution turned Trevor into a tiny tadpole without harming him.
  • Lupin taught the class about Red Caps, and Will led the students by immobilizing one with Petrificus Totalus.
  • Malfoy gave Will another letter that had arrived at noon.
  • Will met Lucius at the Three Broomsticks, then followed him to a secluded hillside outside the village.
  • Lucius told Will that he intended to make him famous and began explaining the plan, leaving Will looking increasingly strange.

Ch. 205Academic Fraud

Lucius proposed passing off others’ Potions research as Will’s, but Will revealed he had transformed the Draught of Living Death into a Sleeping Charm. After agreeing to publish his paper, Will began planning how to use Peter Pettigrew and Sirius to make a name for himself, and secretly fed Sirius in his black dog form.

  • Lucius explained his plan for Will to claim credit for other people’s Potions work, but Will rejected the idea.
  • Will told Lucius he had transformed the Draught of Living Death into a stable Sleeping Charm and planned to write a paper about Potion Transfiguration.
  • Lucius agreed to publish Will’s paper in Today's Potions and arrange publicity around the discovery.
  • Will headed back to Hogwarts, considering how to hand over Peter Pettigrew and clear Sirius’s name while using Peter as a witness.
  • Will recognized a hungry black dog as Sirius and brought him sausages and meat, offering to feed him on future weekends.

Ch. 206Improving the Wolfsbane Potion

Will told Dumbledore about Lucius and the others’ plans, and Dumbledore proposed that Will take credit for an improved Wolfsbane Potion to strengthen his standing in the Wizarding World. Over the next two weeks, Will studied the potion with Snape while Lupin’s Defence Against the Dark Arts classes began practical training again.

  • Will met Harry outside the Kitchens, where Harry said he was going to ask Lupin to teach him the Patronus Charm.
  • Will told Dumbledore about the arrangements with Lucius and the others, and Dumbledore suggested that Will claim credit for the unpublished improved Wolfsbane Potion.
  • Snape taught Will how to brew the Wolfsbane Potion and its improved version, while Will worked on his Potion-Charm Conversion paper.
  • Will rapidly learned the revised brewing techniques and began making his own attempts under Snape’s supervision.
  • Lupin continued teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts and began another round of practical training.

Ch. 207Lupin's Practical Training

Lupin put students through a practical course of Magical Creatures and traps, and Ron and Neville failed after falling into Devil’s Snare. Will carried Draco Malfoy through the course, earning Outstanding, before Professor Flitwick summoned Will to his Office.

  • Lupin sent Ron and Neville through the course, where they mistook an empty puddle for a Kappa and fell into Devil’s Snare.
  • Lupin rescued Ron and Neville and gave them a Poor for their attempt, then showed them the Kappa they had missed.
  • Will defeated the course’s creatures and avoided its traps while Malfoy let him do the work.
  • Lupin awarded Will Outstanding and Malfoy Acceptable, and reminded Will to go easier on the Kappa.
  • Professor Flitwick called Will to his Office after Defence Against the Dark Arts.

Ch. 208Before the Full Moon: The Paper and Its Revisions

Will revised his Potion Spell paper with Professor Flitwick’s help and received a warning about the Time-Turner’s effects on his body. As the full moon approached, Will delivered an improved Wolfsbane Potion to Lupin before heading to Snape’s Defence Against the Dark Arts class.

  • Professor Flitwick advised Will to adapt the Potion Spell into a modern charm, and Will agreed to work on the revision with him.
  • Professor Flitwick warned Will not to overuse the Time-Turner, explained that it would make his body age faster, and suggested dropping some electives.
  • Will spent September working on his paper and told Lucius that he would send it at the end of the following month.
  • On September thirtieth, Will brought Lupin an improved Wolfsbane Potion and Fizzing Whizzbees before going to Snape’s Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson.

Ch. 209"Werewolf Studies"

Snape substituted for an ill Lupin and taught Defence Against the Dark Arts students about Werewolves, penalizing Gryffindors while praising Will Behrens’s answers. The class ended with an essay assignment on identifying and killing Werewolves.

  • Snape entered Lupin’s class, docked Harry points for being late, and ordered the students to study Werewolves.
  • Snape ignored Hermione’s raised hand and quizzed Harry, then took points from both students when they tried to answer.
  • Will explained what Werewolves were and how to identify them, earning five points for Slytherin.
  • Snape described Werewolves as dangerous and claimed their children were also Werewolves, while Will privately knew that was not always true.
  • Snape assigned the class two rolls of parchment on identifying and killing Werewolves, due Monday morning.

Ch. 210Simplifying the Spell Structure Further

Will used the Time-Turner to complete Snape’s werewolf assignment and continue researching the Wolfsbane Potion, while his spell-conversion work with Professor Flitwick and Professor Babbling progressed. After Babbling suggested simplifying his complex spell structure, Will decided to test whether his Primordial Meme ability could do it.

  • Will traveled twelve hours into the past and wrote Snape’s werewolf assignment before studying the Wolfsbane Potion.
  • Will continued publishing papers and collaborating with Professor Flitwick and Professor Babbling on converting spells.
  • Professor Babbling told Will that simplifying his complex spell structure could make it easier to convert and use.
  • Will considered using Primordial Meme to simplify the spell structure further.

Ch. 211The Quidditch Match

Will skipped the stormy Quidditch match at first, but a note prompted him to find Harry and give him instructions before the game. Harry and Malfoy began searching for the Snitch in brutal weather as the match grew intense.

  • Will decided to skip the Quidditch match and returned to the Room of Requirement, where he found a note on the table.
  • Will went to the Quidditch Pitch and privately spoke with Harry after Professor McGonagall brought Harry out to meet him.
  • Harry returned to the Gryffindor waiting room without explaining Will's message, and the teams took the field in the storm.
  • Will joined Sylvia and Hermione in the stands, where they stayed warm with Blue Flames as the match began.
  • Harry and Malfoy struggled against the cold, rain, and wind while their teammates battled fiercely.

Ch. 212Harry, Fly!

Harry searched for the Golden Snitch during a stormy Quidditch match, then spotted a Black Dog before Dementors caused him to fall from his broom. Students caught him with Levitation Charms, and an old man drove the Dementors from the pitch with silver-white light.

  • Oliver Wood blocked the Quaffle and passed it to Angelina, who dodged Flint and scored for Gryffindor.
  • Harry chased the Golden Snitch with Malfoy but lost sight of it when it darted upward.
  • Harry saw a Black Dog in the stands during a flash of lightning, but it disappeared when he looked again.
  • Dementors filled Harry with cold and memories of his mother, causing him to lose control of his broom and fall.
  • Hermione and other students cast Levitation Charms that lifted Harry away from the ground, while Malfoy failed to catch him.
  • An enraged old man sent a surge of silver-white light across the pitch and swept the Dementors away.

Ch. 213Harry Goes Missing

After Dumbledore drove the Dementors from the Quidditch Pitch, the students discovered that Harry had been blown away unconscious in the storm. The professors and students searched the surrounding area without finding him, and Dumbledore headed for the Room of Requirement as the search continued.

  • Dumbledore cast a powerful Patronus that swept the Dementors away and restored the students’ spirits.
  • The students realized Harry had vanished in the storm, and McGonagall ordered everyone back to the Castle while the professors searched for him.
  • Hagrid reported that the search of the Forbidden Forest had found only Harry’s broken broomstick, while Sprout and Madam Hooch reported no sign of him elsewhere.
  • Snape brought Harry’s glasses and the Sorting Hat to Dumbledore and challenged him over the incident; Dumbledore accepted responsibility.
  • Older students joined the search by broom, and Wood rebuked Flint for mocking Harry’s disappearance.
  • As the search expanded and the sky darkened, Dumbledore headed for the Room of Requirement.

Ch. 214Will and Harry

Will rescued Harry after the Quidditch match sent him flying far from Hogwarts, then sheltered with him in a warm cave while they waited for the professors to find them. Harry recalled hearing his parents’ voices when the Dementors approached, and Will helped him think about finding a powerful happy memory before launching into an explanation of entropy.

  • Dumbledore returned to the Great Hall, and an hour later Hogwarts learned that Harry had been found.
  • Will transformed from a silver beetle into a phoenix, caught the unconscious Harry in midair, and teleported him away from Hogwarts.
  • Harry woke in a cave beside Will, who explained that Harry had been blown away by the wind and that they would wait there for the professors.
  • Harry told Will that he heard his parents’ voices when the Dementors came near and that he struggled to find a happy memory for the Patronus Charm.
  • Will compared memories to the cave’s fire and shadows, then began testing Transfiguration by turning pebbles into firewood and explaining entropy to Harry.

Ch. 215Dumbledore's manuscripts

Will used a Time-Turner to rescue Harry after he was blown away from the Quidditch match, then kept his role secret as Harry returned safely to Hogwarts. The chapter revealed that Will had followed instructions from his future self, and that Dumbledore had promised him old Transfiguration notes and unpublished manuscripts.

  • Will explained magical energy and entropy to Harry while they waited out the storm in a cave.
  • Will told Harry to stay in the cave because the weather and nearby Dementors made leaving dangerous.
  • George and Fred found Harry, and Will asked them not to reveal that he had rescued him.
  • The Weasley Brothers brought Harry back to Hogwarts, where Professor McGonagall praised them before refusing their request to skip homework.
  • Will revealed that he had used a Time-Turner, followed a note from his future self, and rescued Harry after the Quidditch match.
  • Will looked forward to Dumbledore's promised Transfiguration notes and unpublished manuscripts.

Ch. 216The beginnings of a new system

Will collected Dumbledore’s Transfiguration papers and continued refining his Sleeping Charm, eventually condensing its structure into a new three-dimensional symbol. After waking Peter, Will tested the new spell again and noticed that it seemed weaker.

  • Will took Dumbledore’s Transfiguration notes from the Headmaster’s Office while Dumbledore was away discussing the Dementor problem with Fudge.
  • Harry returned to Hogwarts unharmed and said that a Levitation Charm had left him hanging in a tree before George and Fred found him.
  • Will experimented on Peter in the Room of Requirement, simplifying his Sleeping Charm around the concept of “sinking.”
  • Will condensed the spell’s structure into an unfamiliar three-dimensional symbol and wondered whether it could be the beginning of a new magical system.
  • Will woke Peter with several Wakefulness Charms, then cast the new Sleeping Charm on him and observed that its effect seemed weaker.

Ch. 217A new rune system

Will created a new magical rune by condensing the Sleeping Charm’s magical structure, gaining a new rune-construction ability. Professor Flitwick confirmed the rune’s significance and urged Will to publish his research, while Will left unsure about the academic complications ahead.

  • Will received notifications that his rune system had been created and that his Ancient Runes Studies had gained a rune-construction ability.
  • Will traveled back several hours with the Time-Turner and went to Professor Flitwick’s office to show him the new rune.
  • Will cast the rune on Professor Flitwick’s practice dummy, and Flitwick examined the magical traces and confirmed it was an independent ancient rune.
  • Professor Flitwick suggested publishing Will’s research in Today’s Charms and the Rune Research Gazette and raised the possibility of Will returning to Hogwarts as a professor.
  • Professor Flitwick warned Will that the research could cause disputes with rigid members of the Rune Research Association, so Will decided to consult Dumbledore and message Lucius.

Ch. 218Fewer Dementors

Will worked with Professor Flitwick and Professor Babbling to develop a modern Sleeping Charm from his new rune while keeping the rune itself private, and prepared two research papers for publication. After sending one paper to Today's Charms, Will went to Hogsmeade with Professor Flitwick and learned that many Dementors had left Hogwarts amid public pressure and a lack of news about Sirius.

  • Will asked Dumbledore to publish his papers without revealing the new runes, and Dumbledore encouraged him to present his work to the wizarding academic community.
  • Will and Professor Flitwick developed a modern version of the Sleeping Charm, while Professor Babbling helped with the runes; students tested the charm and gave positive feedback.
  • Will completed a paper on potion transfiguration with Snape, Professor Flitwick, and Professor Babbling as coauthors, and a paper on improving Wolfsbane Potion with Snape and Dumbledore as coauthors.
  • Professor Flitwick sent Will's potion-transfiguration paper to Today's Charms by owl, then invited Will to visit Hogsmeade.
  • On the way to Hogsmeade, Will noticed that about half the Dementors had left Hogwarts, and Professor Flitwick said parents had sent Howlers to Fudge's office and there had been no recent news of Sirius.
  • Will wondered inwardly whether something had happened to Sirius.

Ch. 219Hogsmeade Day

Harry visited Hogsmeade with his friends, while Will and Professor Flitwick joined them at the Three Broomsticks. After Will impressed Hermione and Flitwick with his knowledge of Runes, Snape arrived, and Will noticed a Black Dog outside the window.

  • Harry and his friends drank Butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks, where Madam Rosmerta gave Harry a discount in gratitude for his heroic deeds.
  • Will and Professor Flitwick arrived and sat with Harry and his friends, prompting Harry, Ron, and Neville to leave for Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop.
  • Hermione asked Professor Flitwick about the development of a spell from Runes, and Flitwick had Will explain it to her.
  • Will answered Hermione's question thoroughly, earning praise from Professor Flitwick and a remark that he would have suited Ravenclaw.
  • Snape joined the group, and Hermione invited Will to go buy Parchment with her.
  • Will noticed a Black Dog outside the window as he stood to leave.

Ch. 220"Sponsoring" Sirius

Will found Sirius in his big black dog form in Hogsmeade and arranged food for him, then asked Hermione and Neville to help find him shelter. Sirius saw Harry, who thought the dog looked familiar, but the chapter left Sirius still hiding in Hogsmeade.

  • Will approached the big black dog and saw him walking beside Hermione's cat, Crookshanks.
  • Will bought a large meal for Sirius and paid Fisher to feed him daily.
  • Harry, Ron, and Hermione arrived, and Ron called the black dog an omen before arguing with Hermione about Crookshanks and Scabbers.
  • Harry went after Ron while Sirius watched him leave and returned to eating.
  • Will asked Hermione and Neville to help him find Sirius somewhere to stay.

Ch. 221Shrieking Shack

Will, Hermione, and Neville prepared the Shrieking Shack as a shelter for the black dog, who seemed to recognize the place. After they left, the dog remained alone in the shack, having overheard the Gryffindor password.

  • Will led Neville, Hermione, and the black dog to the Shrieking Shack and explained that its isolation made it a suitable shelter.
  • Will cleaned the shack while Hermione and Neville helped make it more livable, and the black dog approved of the place.
  • Hermione wondered whether the clever dog was more than an ordinary animal, but Will deflected her suspicion and sent her to gather dry grass.
  • Neville told Will the Gryffindor password, “Good Fortune Shines,” unaware that the black dog listened.
  • Will, Hermione, and Neville left the black dog with blankets, straw, and Neville’s Pumpkin Pasty, and the dog watched them disappear before returning to the shack’s shadows.

Ch. 222An Uninvited Guest Sets the Wizarding World Abuzz

Sirius Black broke into Gryffindor Tower and was seen fleeing after Harry confronted him, prompting the Ministry to flood Hogwarts with Dementors and tighten security. As the Wizarding World criticized the Ministry and Hogwarts, two papers also stirred up the academic world.

  • Sirius slipped into the Gryffindor boys' dormitory and approached Scabbers, but Harry woke, cast a spell, and chased him out.
  • Harry told the other students that Black had entered the tower to kill him, and the professors searched Hogwarts without finding the intruder.
  • The Ministry sent Dementors back to Hogwarts and stationed Aurors in Hogsmeade after news of the break-in spread.
  • The Daily Prophet published a sensational account of the attack, and Rita Skeeter criticized Hogwarts' security and Dumbledore.
  • Fudge ordered more Dementors and Auror patrols while Hogwarts imposed escorts and heightened security for its students.
  • Two papers stirred up the academic world during the tense aftermath.

Ch. 223The Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers

Potioneers reacted to Will Behrens’s paper improving the Wolfsbane Potion, which named Snape and Dumbledore as coauthors. Rock Rowle revealed that Will was a Hogwarts third-year who had also transformed the Draught of Living Death into a new spell, the Sleeping Charm, and Rowle intended to recruit him while secretly serving his master.

  • A potioneer dismissed Will Behrens’s Wolfsbane Potion paper as academic rubbish until he noticed Severus Snape and Albus Dumbledore listed as coauthors.
  • Potioneers debated the potion’s use of treated dragon blood, which removed its toxicity but made it too expensive for many werewolves.
  • Rock Rowle arrived and identified Will Behrens as a third-year Slytherin at Hogwarts.
  • Rowle announced that Will had transformed the Draught of Living Death into the Sleeping Charm, leaving the association stunned.
  • Rowle gave the potioneers the new paper and decided he wanted Will to join the association.
  • Rowle privately hoped his master would return and bring him power.

Ch. 224Suspicion Falls on Will

Lucius Malfoy arranged a publicity campaign to amplify Will Behrens’s reputation after his papers caused a stir among magical scholars. At Hogwarts, a skeptical Potioneer named Fernando questioned Will about the research, and Will began answering his challenges.

  • Two papers by Will Behrens spread through magical academia, and scholars debated his Sleeping Charm and his Wolfsbane Potion research.
  • Lucius Malfoy arranged for Rita Skeeter to use two pen names to publish opposing articles and draw attention to Will before Christmas.
  • Will noticed that the growing admiration for his work was increasing his Charisma experience.
  • Snape brought Will to meet Fernando, a Potioneer who challenged him on the papers’ methods, practical value, and the professors’ contributions.
  • Will recognized that Fernando suspected academic fraud, then calmly began explaining his work on the Wolfsbane Potion.

Ch. 225Questions and Answers

Will defended his Wolfsbane Potion improvements and Potion Transfiguration research before Fernando, who doubted his claims. Will said he could perceive the structure of Magic, leaving Fernando unconvinced as Will ended the discussion and prepared to leave for lunch.

  • Will explained that Dragon Blood removed the Wolfsbane Potion’s toxicity and that his research aimed to make the potion safer and more effective, while protecting his werewolf test subjects’ identities.
  • Will credited Snape with teaching him Potions and providing resources, and Dumbledore with discovering the Twelve Uses of Dragon Blood and supplying it for his work.
  • Fernando challenged Will’s account of Potion Transfiguration and asked how he extracted and changed the Magic structure of a potion into a charm.
  • Snape defended Will when Fernando suggested that the paper omitted crucial details.
  • Will said he could perceive the structure of Magic, but Fernando rejected the claim because he had never encountered such an ability.
  • Will invited Fernando to test the method himself, then said he was leaving for lunch before Care of Magical Creatures.
Arc 9 of 35
Arc 9 of 35